Normandy vet shares memories with SL students

A veteran of the Normandy invasion in World War II, Burrell Robinson, poses for photographs with South Lenoir High School history students after recounting his experience during the war.

Submitted photo

By Wes Wolfe / Staff writer

Published: Friday, June 6, 2014 at 08:19 PM.

DEEP RUN — An experience borne of blood and sacrifice became a gift 70 years to the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Burrell Robinson, behind the wheel of one of the many landing craft sending soldiers onto the French beaches, shared his memories with history students on Friday at South Lenoir High School.

“Well, I started off, I volunteered for the Navy because I had a brother in the Navy,” Burrell said. “And I decided I wanted to know, probably, to have somewhere to sleep every night instead of on the ground.”

Mike Radford, who introduced Robinson to the class, explained how Robinson faced major life decisions at an age not that far off from the students themselves.

“Let me put this into perspective for you, for you, for you,” Radford said, pointing at boys seated in the class. “You’re a young man — he was sitting where you are sitting 72 years ago. He knew that he was getting ready to go overseas and more than likely not come back.”

Robinson described his training as he went from installation to installation, learning how to handle the landing crafts but not why or where. Then it was to New York and off to Europe aboard the USS Dorothea L. Dix.

The voyage to Belfast in Northern Ireland and then abilities to go ashore at Plymouth in England and venture to London allowed for sailors to see a bit of the world before crossing the English Channel the first week of June.

DEEP RUN — An experience borne of blood and sacrifice became a gift 70 years to the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Burrell Robinson, behind the wheel of one of the many landing craft sending soldiers onto the French beaches, shared his memories with history students on Friday at South Lenoir High School.

“Well, I started off, I volunteered for the Navy because I had a brother in the Navy,” Burrell said. “And I decided I wanted to know, probably, to have somewhere to sleep every night instead of on the ground.”

Mike Radford, who introduced Robinson to the class, explained how Robinson faced major life decisions at an age not that far off from the students themselves.

“Let me put this into perspective for you, for you, for you,” Radford said, pointing at boys seated in the class. “You’re a young man — he was sitting where you are sitting 72 years ago. He knew that he was getting ready to go overseas and more than likely not come back.”

Robinson described his training as he went from installation to installation, learning how to handle the landing crafts but not why or where. Then it was to New York and off to Europe aboard the USS Dorothea L. Dix.

The voyage to Belfast in Northern Ireland and then abilities to go ashore at Plymouth in England and venture to London allowed for sailors to see a bit of the world before crossing the English Channel the first week of June.

“As we were going up to Brown’s Hotel — a beautiful place – to get us a room for the night, as we were going up to the doors, five or six or seven — I don’t remember how many it was – soldiers (walked toward us) and they stopped,” Robinson said. “Come to find out, the last one who introduced himself was Glenn Miller.”

The sailors from the Dix were able to get autographs from the famed bandleader before they went their separate ways.

There was also precious cargo around after the ships embarked for France.

“One day I was walking down toward the boat and I saw a guy standing up, braced up against the wall, with a beard,” Robinson said. “I went up to him and I spoke to him and introduced myself. I don’t see many strangers, and if they don’t talk to me I’ll leave. I told him who I was and he said, ‘Well, I’m Ernest Hemingway.’”

Historical accounts relate that while Allied commanders allowed Hemingway to essentially tag along on one of history’s greatest turning points, he was kept out of harm’s way.

Robinson’s job — won during training because of his deft handling of the large, two-engined landing craft — was to deliver troops directly into harm’s way.

“I always felt I carried a bunch of men to the slaughter — to be killed — by carrying them up there and having to drop them off in water waist-deep…,” Robinson said. “But it was a terrible time, and thank God I survived it.”

The process repeated again during the invasion of southern France in August 1944 and Okinawa in April 1945.

Robinson said he went ashore a number of times with fellow soldiers, sailors, Marines, as areas were liberated, and it left an impression.

“I went to several cities that had been bombed – had liberty and had the opportunity to go — and I want you all to remember, be proud of the United States,” Robinson said.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.